While the end of Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 may have taken a conservative turn to secure the wellbeing of attendees—affecting shows like Giorgio Armani, who changed their usually packed show to a closed presentation with a livestream online—the season itself was monumental. From the announcement of Raf Simons becoming co-creative of Prada alongside Muiccia Prada, to a look at Daniel Lee’s vision for where Bottega Veneta goes next, the highlights were plentiful.
Prada set their show in a sunken square encompassing the Greek Titan, Atlas, while models traversed through a series of bold, red open doorways. In classic Muiccia Prada style, the cool mix of masculine and feminine tailored suiting with a 1940’s flare led the way. From boxy, cinched jackets, to transparent basketball jerseys donning a Prada logo, and the re-edition of fringed, bejeweled skirts, the label’s cult fanbase will rejoice with nostalgia, while newcomers will fall in love with the brand’s myriad of belted jackets.
Bottega Veneta, designed by Daniel Lee, who swept the London Fashion Awards, continues to be one of the greatest tickets of fashion month with must-have, gathered butter leather and woven handbags and sandals the brand is known for. Lee continued to grow their accessories with more oversized hobo-style bags and pushed their shoe game with sharp, square-toe cowboy boots. Chartreuse starred as the pop-out color of the season, peeking out from under a long black coat, or as a standout hue on a studded knee-length dress. There was even a sighting of a Croc-like boot making more than one appearance from under fringe and feathers as models made their way down the runway.
Max Mara is king when it comes to outerwear and this season creative director Ian Griffiths gave us every version possible. While the “Teddy Bear” coat over the last few years has been an “it” staple in wardrobes across the globe, the super soft and fluffy fabric was seen on diversified shapes ranging from capes and cocoon coats to voluminous duffel bags. The infamous Max Mara neutral color palate stands strong in deep midnight, camel, and grey tones with varying sizes of stripe prints.
Marni presented their version of Alice in Wonderland designed by Francesco Risso for the season. Models donned slicked metallic hair and vibrant painted faces, wearing ‘90s inspired patched-leather trench coats and shift dresses made from re-purposed scraps. Standouts also included stitched knits, brocade coats, and cutout dresses feeding into Risso’s psychedelic world.
Fendi had an air of newness, including exaggerated masculine shapes paired with the femininity of soft textures, which resulted in the billowing of pale pink chiffon corseted blouses with charcoal grey wool belted coats, sent down the runway. Silvia Fendi also featured a series of tailored noir and chestnut leather cinched coats and jumpsuits. Our favorite look? An olive-green knee-length skirt paired with a chunky blush turtleneck sweater and matching boots was a definite highlight.
Versace didn’t need Jennifer Lopez to star this season, as attendees sat facing a projected LED screen mirroring those in attendance—portraying guests to be the true center of the show. As for the clothing, Donatella stuck true to her Versace DNA with slashed leather jackets and dresses being held together by oversized metal staples. A series of black power suiting, chain mail dresses, and crystal strappy shoes will be available come fall.
